Church Goers - I don't get it.

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Yes, and neither do JWs choose to be called "Russellites" or call their founder "Daddy Russell" ...

... and neither did any "follower of the way" (as labeled by other folks) ever choose to call himself or herself "Christian" (a slur).

Thanks to all of you.

I'm just a little bit bitter from past experiences on the politics/religion forum.....don't go there unless you are the most thick of skin and you don't care about bulldogs....haha.

@ cdfox7, you are the first mormon I have met on here believe it or not (and i've been on for what, 6 months), and you understand that the church is good....just people can sometimes not be....just, thanks

@ leejosepho, I think there are a few bad Mormons that are making a bad name for the rest of us. :/

@ theWanderer, yea, I guess you can say that. but you can determine if their actions are bad or good. Like If someone went out and killed someone, they did something bad. Myabe their parents were murdered, so they know. We never have the right to judge if they are a bad or a good person completely......but, after accumulating actions and information, and after many bad interactions I think we are allowed to determine if they are good people to be around.

I think the prejudice comes from former/current members (no offense @ cdfox7) and some people that just had bad interactions. Let me put it this way, they can be a little less than inclusive if you are not the stereotypical mormon in some places. Like when my brother was younger, he didn't really make friends with the guys in his quorum because he wasn't that good at basketball. That's the least of it. But if you think about it, there are always going to be good and bad people. There us always going to be rich and poor people (until the end of the world) that is why me and everyone else in my family has the same opinion as cdfox, the church is good, and the people can sometimes be good (I have neglected to mention some of my wonderful leaders, and some really good friends in my ward) but sometimes not.

Yea! You're not going to beat me up, yeaaaa! Hahaha, thanks.

Oh, and this has already been answered, but we call ourselves Mormons because Mormon was the prophet who constructed the Book of Mormon, our main scripture (next to the bible and D+C) Most people don't care if you call them Mormon. Either way is cool.

@ cdfox7, why do you think that is unfair?

@ leejosepho I can understand that you don't want to be called russellites, just as we wouldn't want to be called josephites or whatever, but why not Christ? Like, our actual name is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, so technically we are being called that. I'd just like to know why you think that is a slur to be called Christian? Are you saying that for you, or for any religion in general, cause I'm confused with your wording.....

i like satanism and self worship more because it suits me. i hate church so i like to practice alone. i am also into wicca for the nature connection.

Chrissyrun the use of Mormons Ihmo takes away the Saint's connection with the Saviour plus it also can give non members the impression that we're not Christian.

I agree.

Because the word "Christian" actually was a slur when first used, or so I have been told ... and many non-believers still use that term with a sneer on their lips. So, why risk "leading with the chin" by labeling myself as a "Little Christ" or "Messianite" when I already know that might cut me off from actually being helpful to someone? We are to be known by others (outside the "church") by our love for one another (within the "church") ... and who cares what outsiders might call us?

Note this: "And the taught ones were called ‘Messianites’ first in Antioch." (Acts 11:26, ISR, emphasis added)

Rhetorical question: Where in Scripture did any "taught one" ever call himself or herself anything?

Note: A name like "The Church of Jesus [Anointed One] of Latter Day Saints" actually has too many uses of the word "of" within it (and thereby indicates nothing more or less than a given denomination or sect), yet it would nevertheless indicate we might just best be calling ourselves "saints" -- "The Assembly of Saints" -- as therein already obviously implied, if even anything at all ...

... and I bet that would go over really well in this world, eh?!

Personally, I happen to belong to a small fellowship of people know as "The No Name Yet Group" -- someone else called us that when we had no name of our own to offer anyone -- and that name typically raises curiosity, not hackles!

You have a point; I think some of my own discomfort with trying to stick the label of 'good' or 'bad' on someone is because it seems - to me, at least - I'm implying the authority to judge that. And I guess I'm afraid I might start to believe my own PR if I do that.

I did point out, though, that Mormons have never stood out as doing anything especially horrible. When I think of groups that are bad, I tend to think of Nazis, neo-Nazis, the KKK... you get the idea. I have never heard of anything about Mormons that suggests they belong on that list.



How is this different from any other religion? (As long as you replace the word "Mormon" with the name of the other religion, of course.)

You can, as Abraham Joshua Heschel said: "Build a Cathedral in Time" by doing something that commemorates, honors, and observes God and your faith and take the day off...

You don't have to go to church. Observe the sabbath doing something religious, read and reflect on some scripture, and take the day of and away from doing things that "produce" stuff... in other words, get away from TV and internet, hold off shopping unless your going out to eat, and just have a day to get caught up in a novel, take a long walk, hang out with your family or friends at a bbq, reflect, etc. I think it's healthy to attend a good church, but if you think you make the exception, consider what I've said above.

I grew up in a Baptist family, & occasionally I still hear them refer to people who don't go to church every Sunday as unchurched.
Makes me want to scream, church is not a verb!! !

They really believe everybody should be just like them...happily churched. Drives me nuts.

Last edited by jocli on 27 Apr 2011, 10:53 am, edited 1 time in total.

Same here, and I think drawing attention to that can be very helpful at times.

If someone says, "You need to go to church!", what are they really saying?

If someone needs to go take a bath, we do not say, "You need to go to bath!"

Truly, there just is no such thing as "churching" people even though it is done all the time ...

... and such are the ways of many religious folks today ...